Senior citizens steer clear of the cold | News

Title (Max 100 Characters)

Low temperatures are especially tough on some of Central Georgia's older residents.

13WMAZ's Jennifer Moulliet went to Blair House in Macon to find out why it's so important for seasoned citizens to stay warm.

"Weather for me has been too cold darlin.' I am just not a cold weather person," says Jewell Hasty. She says she's bundling up for the drop in temperature.

"I just dress in layers and stay close inside."

And at Blair House, where Hasty lives, they're serving up heat.

"The temperature is turned up to a nice toasty level so it feels nice and warm here. We serve soups and lots of coffee at every meal so there's always something hot available," explains Executive Director Jean Govoni. She says, "Elderly people tend to be a little bit colder than all of us to begin with."

Brittany Freeman, a licensed practical nurse at Blair House, says her residents are more susceptible to the cold weather.

"Their skin is more thin. As they get older, they thin out and their blood is thinner. So they react to the cold different than younger-aged people."

She also says it's easy for seniors to get sick, but difficult for them to fight off the infection.

"It's harder for them to get well if they get sick, and usually if they get sick, they get sick quicker. With pneumonia and things like that, their body doesn't respond or treat the cold as easily as it would for me and you."

As for Ms. Hasty, she'll continue sipping her coffee indoors.

Executive Director Jean Govoni says it's a good idea to keep walkie talkies around, maybe even give one to a neighbor. In case you lose your cell phone, you can still check on each other without having to go out in the cold. Those medical alert systems, if you can afford the monthly premium, aren't such a bad idea either.